Last month, media outlets began circulating reports that Belgium had deployed between 300 and 400 troops to Maniema Province to support the DRC’s forces in battling M23.

It has now been revealed that these soldiers were stationed at the Lwama military base in the city of Kindu, Maniema, and were accompanied by weaponry, including tanks and combat drones, to assist in the fight against M23.

Belgium’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot, dismissed these claims as false, stating that his country had only six soldiers in Kindu, whose role was limited to training activities under a European Union (EU) mission.

Despite Minister Prévot’s denial, Belgium has already suffered the loss of eight soldiers who were fighting alongside the DRC army in operations against M23 in Walikale Territory, North Kivu Province, near the Maniema border, according to The Great Lakes Eye newspaper.

Among the fallen Belgian troops was Sgt. Jimmy Luis Flander, who was shot while operating a drone to launch an attack on M23 positions. The armored vehicle he was in was also destroyed.

M23 fighters stationed in Walikale have been facing repeated drone attacks. One such drone recently set fire to a civilian aircraft at Kigoma Airstrip near Walikale Center last week.

Reports from Walikale confirm that Belgian soldiers have been operating these drones with the goal of dislodging M23 fighters from the mineral-rich territory, which contains valuable resources like cassiterite. M23 has reportedly shot down two of these drones.

Even as Minister Prévot denied Belgium’s involvement in this conflict, there appeared to be an underlying military strategy by his country in the region, particularly in eastern DRC.

On March 17, 2025, a Belgian military aircraft, the Falcon 8x, departed from Brussels for Kinshasa, continuing to Kindu the next day before returning to Kinshasa on March 20.

On March 21, the 16-passenger aircraft returned to the Great Lakes region, landing in Bujumbura. It is well known that Belgium, Burundi, and the DRC are collectively opposing M23, either directly or indirectly.

Belgium’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot, dismissed these claims as false, stating that his country had only six soldiers in Kindu.

New reports have surfaced regarding Belgian troops sent to fight against the M23 rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).